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Virgin Active
Virgin Active is a chain of health clubs in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Italy, Australia, Singapore, Thailand and the United Kingdom. History Virgin Active was founded in 1999. Their first club opened in Preston, Lancashire that year. Initially headquartered in Milton Keynes, in 2013 headquarters were moved to the Barbican in London leaving a small call centre in Milton Keynes which closed in 2018. In South Africa the company bought the assets of the 'Health and Racquet Club' chain after the latter's parent company, Leisurenet, had been placed in liquidation in October 2000 for 319.6 million South African Rand (approximately £24.5m as at November 2011). The South African company also runs Virgin Life Care. In 2002, by which point the company had 350,000 members, Branson sold 55 percent of the company to Bridgepoint Capital for £40 million. In 2005, Branson bought out Bridgepoint's stake in the business for £134.5 million. It subsequently expanded its operations in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joint Venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to access a new market, particularly Emerging market; to gain scale efficiencies by combining assets and operations; to share risk for major investments or projects; or to access skills and capabilities. According to Gerard Baynham of Water Street Partners, there has been much negative press about joint ventures, but objective data indicate that they may actually outperform wholly owned and controlled affiliates. He writes, "A different narrative emerged from our recent analysis of U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) data, collected from more than 20,000 entities. According to the DOC data, foreign joint ventures of U.S. companies realized a 5.5 percent average return on assets (ROA), while those companies’ wholly owned and controlled affiliates ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbican
A barbican (from fro, barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer fortifications, defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe In the Middle Ages, barbicans were typically situated outside the main line of defenses, and were connected to the Defensive wall, city walls with a walled road called ''the neck''. In the 15th century, with the improvement in siege tactics and artillery, barbicans lost their significance. Barbicans were built well into the 16th century. Fortified or mock-fortified gatehouses remained a feature of ambitious French and English residences well into the 17th century. Portuguese medieval fortification nomenclature uses barbican to describe any wall outside of and lower than the main defensive wall that forms a second barrier. The barrier may be complete, extensive or only protect particularly weak areas. The more restrictive term ''gate barb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ThyssenKrupp
ThyssenKrupp AG (, ; stylized as thyssenkrupp) is a German industrial engineering and steel production multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate. It is the result of the 1999 merger of Thyssen AG and Krupp and has its operational headquarters in Duisburg and Essen. The company claims to be one of the world's largest List of steel producers, steel producers, and it was ranked tenth-largest worldwide by revenue in 2015."The world's largest steel companies in 2015, based on revenue" ''Statista'' It is divided into 670 subsidiaries worldwide. The largest shareholders are Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation and Cevian Capital. ThyssenKrupp's products range from machines and indust ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alvarez & Marsal
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) is a global professional services firm notable for its work in turnaround management and performance improvement of a number of large, high-profile businesses both in the US and abroad such as Lehman Brothers, HealthSouth, Tribune Company, Warnaco, Interstate Bakeries, Target, Darden Restaurants and Arthur Andersen. History Alvarez & Marsal was founded in 1983 by Tony Alvarez II, former Coopers & Lybrand workout specialist and Bryan Marsal, a former Citibank workout banker, after the two met and worked together at Norton Simon Inc. They created a professional services firm focused on turnaround management, corporate restructuring and operational performance improvement in an area where previously individual executives operated. The first turnaround client of the firm was Timex Corporation. A&M grew slowly through the 1980s and 1990s with a small team focused on restructuring based in New York and, by 1994, a satellite office in Los Angeles. During the 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hogan Lovells
Hogan Lovells is an American-British law firm co-headquartered in London and Washington, DC. The firm was formed in 2010 by the merger of the American law firm Hogan & Hartson and the British law firm Lovells. It employs about 2,400 lawyers across 40 offices in the United States, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In 2013, Hogan Lovells was the eleventh largest law firm in the world by revenues, earning around US$1.8 billion (£1.1 billion) that year. By 2017, the firm had risen to 7th worldwide with gross revenues exceeding US$2 billion. Hogan Lovells claims specialization in "government regulatory, litigation, commercial litigation and arbitration, corporate, finance, and intellectual property". Hogan Lovells was listed in ''Forbes''' America's Top Trusted Corporate Law Firms 2019. History Hogan & Hartson Hogan & Hartson was founded by Frank J. Hogan in 1904. In 1925, Hogan was joined by Nelson T. Hartson, a former Internal Revenue Service attorne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deloitte
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of professionals in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms along with EY (Ernst & Young), KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). The firm was founded by William Welch Deloitte in London in 1845 and expanded into the United States in 1890. It merged with Haskins & Sells to form Deloitte Haskins & Sells in 1972 and with Touche Ross in the US to form Deloitte & Touche in 1989. In 1993, the international firm was renamed Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, later abbreviated to Deloitte. In 2002, Arthur Andersen's practice in the UK as well as several of that firm's practices in Europe and North and South America agreed to merge with Deloitte. Subsequent acquisitions have included Monitor Group, a large strategy consulting business, in Janu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allen & Overy
Allen & Overy LLP (informally A&O) is an international law firm. The firm has 580 partners and over 5,600 people worldwide. In 2022 A&O reported an increase in revenue to GBP1.96 billion and is the second largest law firm headquartered in the UK by revenue. ---- History Allen & Overy was founded in the City of London on 1 January 1930 by George Allen and Thomas Overy, formerly partners at Roney & Co. The main purpose was to build a commercial practice. The firm's reputation was made as a result of George Allen's role as adviser to King Edward VIII during the abdication crisis of 1936. By the time World War II broke out in 1939, Allen & Overy had firmly established itself as a leading City law firm. Over the years, Allen & Overy has been involved in many developments in the legal field. Such work has included advising on the first hostile takeover in the City of London and acting for S. G. Warburg & Co. The firm arranged the first Eurobond (issued by Italian motorway gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Lloyd Leisure
David Lloyd Leisure is Europe's largest health, fitness and leisure business by revenue, operating 130 clubs across nine countries. History David Lloyd established David Lloyd Leisure in 1982 and opened the first club, aimed at providing a family orientated, high quality fitness and leisure facility. This was somewhat distinct from the traditional gyms and sports centres of the time. There was also an emphasis on racquet sports. By 1995, there were 18 David Lloyd Leisure clubs when Whitbread PLC acquired the company for £182 million,Whitbread sells David Lloyd gyms BBC News, 4 June 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2011. incorporating it into its Restaurants & Leisure Division. Gerrard Duxbury remained as managing director of the division until 1996. Whitbread ran more than 50 David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) clubs in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nuffield Health
Nuffield Health is the United Kingdom's largest healthcare charity. Established in 1957 the charity operates 31 Nuffield Health Hospitals and 114 Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Centres. It is independent of the National Health Service and is constituted as a Charitable organization, registered charity. Its objectives are to 'advance, promote and maintain health and healthcare of all descriptions and to prevent, relieve and cure sickness and ill health of any kind, all for the public benefit.' As a private provider, fees are charged to patients. In 2019 Nuffield Health had an annual gross income of £993 million, making it one of the five largest charities in the UK. Nuffield Health operates 250 facilities including 31 private hospitals (29 in England, one in Glasgow, Scotland and a joint venture, Cardiff & Vale, Wales), 113 Fitness and Wellbeing Centres across the UK, and five medical centres. History On 14 January 1957 the British United Provident Association (Bupa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
One Raffles Place
One Raffles Place, formerly Overseas Union Bank Centre or OUB Centre is a skyscraper in Downtown Core, Singapore. With a height of , it was formerly the joint tallest building in the city together with the UOB Plaza and Republic Plaza, until the construction of Guoco Tower in 2016. The building sits at the city centre of Raffles Place. Architecture * The building consists of two triangular structures with a small space between them. * The steel frame allows for column-free office space. * The floor system is of reinforced concrete slab composite with a ribbed steel deck. * A car park, retail areas, and a link to the MRT system can be found above and below ground. * The tower is clad with chemically treated aluminium alloy which changes colour along with the light it reflects. * Square and circular designs perforate the building's façade, etched by a grid pattern of rectangles and window units. * The dramatic entrance is presented by an eight-storey cutaway, coupled with sky ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and north-west of mainland Australia. Southeast Asia is bordered to the north by East Asia, to the west by South Asia and the Bay of Bengal, to the east by Oceania and the Pacific Ocean, and to the south by Australia (continent), Australia and the Indian Ocean. Apart from the British Indian Ocean Territory and two out of atolls of Maldives, 26 atolls of Maldives in South Asia, Maritime Southeast Asia is the only other subregion of Asia that lies partly within the Southern Hemisphere. Mainland Southeast Asia is completely in the Northern Hemisphere. East Timor and the southern portion of Indonesia are the only parts that are south of the Equator. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Esporta Health Clubs
Esporta Health & Fitness Clubs (usually known as just Esporta) was a chain of health clubs in the United Kingdom, which also once owned clubs in Spain. The clubs offered a wide variety of different fitness facilities, including gyms, swimming pools and courts for racquet sports. In addition they offered a choice of bar food and drinks, spa treatments and live sporting coverage. On 26 April 2011, after two years of ownership, Société Générale confirmed that it had agreed to sell its Esporta health, fitness and racquets clubs to Virgin Active for £77.5m. History After expanding quickly, in 2004 the firm announced their six Spanish clubs were up for sale. Selling all six in 2005, they sold seven UK locations to Virgin Active Virgin Active is a chain of health clubs in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Italy, Australia, Singapore, Thailand and the United Kingdom. History Virgin Active was founded in 1999. Their first club opened in Preston, Lancashire that year. I ...: Birm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
